Latest news with #Western Cape
News24
3 days ago
- News24
Gauteng police intercept cache of arms destined for Western Cape
Gauteng police have seized 30 unlicensed firearms during a bust in Meyersdal. Two people have been arrested. The guns are believed to have been destined for the Western Cape. After intercepting a cache of weapons destined for the Western Cape, Gauteng police say they have 'broken the back of a syndicate involved in the trafficking of unlicensed firearms'. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team led an intelligence-driven operation in Meyersdal, south of Johannesburg, on Monday. The operation resulted in the arrest of two people and the confiscation of 30 unlicensed 9mm pistols. 'The arrest of the 34 and 45-year-old suspects follows several days of surveillance and information gathering across provinces where suspects involved in the moving of unlicensed firearms were identified. As suspects collected the firearms, the team moved in for a coordinated tactical takedown in Meyersdal,' said Mathe. 'Further investigation confirmed the weapons were destined for the Western Cape, and the suspects intended to transport the unlicensed firearms themselves. Both suspects have been linked to various other cases in Gauteng and the Western Cape,' Mathe added. Supplied/ SAPS The two people face multiple charges, including illegal possession and trafficking of firearms. 'Investigations are ongoing to track down more members of this illegal firearm trafficking syndicate,' Mathe said. In March, the police's Anti-Gang Unit and Crime Intelligence officers in the Western Cape discovered explosives, firearms, and drugs at a storage facility in Bellville, Cape Town. Supplied/ SAPS Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said police found three AK-47 rifles, two assault rifles, twelve 9mm pistols, three Uzi guns, four short guns, and two revolvers. In addition, six M26 grenades were found along with 50 000 mandrax tablets and an assortment of ammunition.
Malay Mail
18-07-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
Sniffing out extinction: Dogs help save South Africa's rarest tortoises
JOHANNESBURG, July 18 — Snout pressed to the ground, a border collie named Delta zigzagged through the shrubs on a private nature reserve near Cape Town, frantically sniffing for critically endangered tortoises. The dog stopped abruptly in front of a small bush and lay down, signalling a find as Delta's handler moved in to search the surrounding area. Hidden in the tall grass was a tiny reptile, its shell marked with yellow star-like patterns — a clear sign it was a geometric tortoise, a species found only at the southern tip of Africa. 'It's an adult female, you can tell by its flat belly,' said Esther Matthew, the dog's handler and a conservation officer for South Africa's Endangered Wildlife Trust. She explained that the organisation uses canines to sniff out the endangered species by 'building positive association with the tortoises' odour', throwing Delta a foam frisbee as a reward. Trained dogs are being used in South Africa to help locate and then track a critically endangered species of tortoise. — AFP pic Dogs are five times more effective than humans at this type of search and 'also help us find the smaller tortoises which are often overlooked, the hatchlings and the juveniles', Matthew said. 'We've seen a dramatic increase in the number of finds with the dogs.' Shrinking numbers Their help has become crucial in studying and protecting the geometric tortoise, found only in South Africa's Western Cape province and on the verge of extinction. The species' population was already as low as 1,500 individuals in the wild in the early 1990s, according to biologist Andrew Turner, who works for the conservation authority Cape Nature. It is now estimated at only several hundred animals with 'declines pretty much across the entire remaining range of this species', he told AFP. On the nature reserve, Delta and Matthew — helped by colleagues searching the bushes with sticks — found a dozen of the hardy reptiles. 'We record all the tortoises we can find, all the data, measurements and weight,' Delta's handler explained. A conservation official, working as part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Dryland Conservation Project, talks about a critically endangered female Geometric tortoise, that they found with specially trained dogs on a private reserve in the Boland district of the Western Cape on June 30, 2025. — AFP pic 'Creating corridors' With the species' natural habitat shrinking due to agriculture and urban expansion, these surveys have become all the more critical, Turner said. 'There are very few places left in the Western Cape that still support these tortoises. It's really just a couple of nature reserves and pieces of good habitat left on people's private property,' he added. 'The remaining patches of vegetation are not really connected to each other anymore. There are farmlands in between, roads, towns and industries so there is limited ability for the tortoises to disperse and rescue other populations.' This fragmentation makes them all the more vulnerable to droughts, predation and fires, which scientists argue have become more frequent and intense thanks to climate change. Poaching — of the tortoises and the plants they feed on — is also a threat, Turner said. 'They are down to such small levels that they actually need as much assistance as they can get,' he said. To save the species, the Endangered Wildlife Trust has looked at building 'partnerships' with landowners and communities living in the animals' habitat. 'The biggest thing is... creating corridors where species can work through,' explained Zanne Brink, who leads the organisation's dry lands conservation programme. 'Our biggest challenge is to get enough information to prevent critical biodiversity areas from being lost to unsustainable land use.' — AFP
The Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
‘I know things': McKenzie says he'd testify in SAPS commission of inquiry
Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has thrown his weight behind President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption in the SA Police Service (SAPS). On Sunday, Ramaphosa announced the commission, chaired by acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will be established to investigate allegations of political interference in the police service by senior law enforcement officials, including police minister Senzo Mchunu. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, McKenzie said he'd be willing to testify if asked. 'I'm going to testify at the commission because I know things,' he said. 'If they call me, I'm going. There are guns in the Western Cape that are killing our people. 'This one is not about getting your popcorn ready, it's about getting the popcorn factory ready because of the corruption that is going to come out of there. Every gang boss of every cartel in the world, you always hear they are arrested in South Africa, they are here. What are these people doing here?'
News24
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- News24
FutureRent raises R100 million in first funding round
FutureRent, South Africa's pioneering car subscription company, has secured about R100 million (€5 million) in its first funding round, backed by a German family office. The capital injection marks a major step forward in FutureRent's mission to reinvent mobility through flexible, finance-free vehicle access. The deal brings over 450 new vehicles to FutureRent's growing fleet, and is the company's most significant expansion to date. This scale-up will allow FutureRent to meet rising demand across the Western Cape, while continuing to make vehicle access faster, simpler and more affordable. 'This is more than funding; it's fuel for a new kind of mobility,' says Luke Henwood, CEO and founder of FutureRent. 'We're proving that drivers don't want rigid finance. They want freedom, flexibility, and the confidence to move without long-term debt.' A new model for a changing market FutureRent, founded in Cape Town, has rapidly grown by challenging the traditional model of vehicle ownership. Instead of tying customers to long-term bank loans, the company offers all-inclusive, medium-term car subscriptions. The subscription fee covers the use of the car, plus insurance, roadside assistance, servicing and tracking. There are no hidden costs. As South Africa's vehicle sales continue to decline and traditional finance becomes less accessible, FutureRent's model has found strong traction among consumers, entrepreneurs and upwardly mobile professionals. 'Mobility is evolving and this raise proves we're not just following the trend, we're creating it,' Henwood says. Backing from Europe The funding round was led by a German Family Office with a strong track record in asset-backed ventures. The partnership brings not only capital, but also cross-border experience and long-term strategic value. 'We are proud to back FutureRent as they challenge outdated systems and build a new standard for mobility in Africa,' a representative from the Family Office says. 'This business has vision, operational discipline and traction – exactly what long-term investors are looking for.' What's next for FutureRent With a strengthened balance sheet and its expanded FutureRent fleet, the company is now preparing to scale its technology infrastructure. It is also exploring partnerships with innovative service providers to further streamline the customer experience. 'We're just getting started,' Henwood says. 'This is our first external raise and we've structured it for sustainable growth. FutureRent is built for real people, solving a real problem, and this fund raise proves the market believes in that.' About FutureRent FutureRent is a car subscription platform based in Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 2022 by Luke Henwood, it offers a flexible alternative to traditional car ownership, with vehicles available on subscription terms that include insurance, warranty, servicing, tracking and roadside assistance – all in a single monthly fee.
